


I Just Pray That Someone Hears Me Now

by biohazardBroski



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, And Tyler figures out a way to communicate with Josh, First Meetings, Freeform, Gen, Josh Has APD (Auditory Processing Disorder)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 12:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7315987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biohazardBroski/pseuds/biohazardBroski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler moves to a new high school and hopes to make new friends without forcing it.  He eventually meets a nice, quiet kid named Josh that he'd seen in school and decides to talk to him.  Tyler notices something odd about Josh, but aids him to overcome those barriers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Just Pray That Someone Hears Me Now

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly had an overwhelming urge to write this fic through personal experience. And you know, projecting yourself as another character is pretty cathartic. Not related to my other high school fic though.

The front door creaks as it closes. Tyler takes his shoes off at the doormat and walks into the kitchen, dropping his backpack with a thud on the wooden chair.  
“How was school today, Tyler?” his mom asked, her back was turned toward him. She was scraping food off a few dishes before putting them into the dishwasher.  
“It was fine,” his voice cracked and then his pitched raised higher, “Oh that’s right, I think I’ve made a new friend today.”  
His mother turned around, “That’s wonderful sweetie, what are they like?”

Tyler moved not too long ago, about a month by now. It was saddening to leave all of his friends behind, saying that they’d promise to see him again and talk to him through Facebook. But those lasting friendships began fading away when he needed them most.

So hearing news of Tyler possibly making new bonds was a relief for his mom to say the least.

“Well,” he began. “His name is Josh, he’s in band class so he likes music too. He’s a quiet kid, and everyone seems to know who he is. But not many people actually stick around to talk to him.”  
“So did you talk to him today?”

Tyler indeed did. He didn’t tell his mom the part that Tyler ditched his lunch period to play the piano in the choir room. When he walked into the choir room, he startled Josh, who almost dropping his tray of food.  
“I’m sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Tyler apologized.  
Josh turned around looking relieved he didn’t drop anything to the ground. “It’s okay, I didn’t hear you walk in.”  
“I blame it on the carpet, the name’s Tyler by the way.”  
Josh looked at him a little confused, and then changed his expression quickly after, “My name is Josh, I don’t believe you’re in any of my classes.” He set his tray of food down on the nearest chair and held his hand out for Tyler to shake it.  
“You’re not, do you have a class in here at a different period?”  
Josh shook his head, “Not at all, I don’t sing. I come here because it’s quiet during my lunch period. I can’t hear anyone in the lunchroom. Or well.. I technically hear everyone and it gets harder to hear a specific person.”  
“Uh huh..” that made little sense to Tyler, but he didn’t question it.  
“What about yourself? You don’t look like you’re ready to chow down on anything. Skipping class or did you just want a quiet space too?”  
“Actually, I was planning on playing the piano since I can’t during class. And there’s always someone trying to play it after school so I can’t go then. Would you mind if I played?”  
“No, not at all!”  
Tyler felt unsure about it, but went ahead anyways. Sitting at the worn instrument and hitting a few keys. He then pulled out a notebook and opened it to his most recent page. Playing a melody he was writing. He looked over to Josh, who was eating a sandwich and scribbling something down on his notebook.  
“Why don’t you play in the band room instead?” Tyler asked, not meaning it in a negative tone. Just why sit in the choir room when you’re a band kid.  
Josh didn’t even turn to look at Tyler, was he ignoring Tyler?  
“Josh,” Tyler tried again.  
“Yeah?” Josh put down his pencil and looked towards Tyler.  
“Why do you sit in here, not in the band room?” Tyler tried again.  
“People sit in there a lot more and play their instruments. If it was empty in there I’d absolutely go in and play the drums.”  
“Are you shy of people?”  
Josh faintly shook his head, “No, that’s not the reason.”  
“What is it then, if you don’t mind sharing?”  
Josh actually smirked to Tyler’s surprise. “I think I have this problem. It’s nothing huge but like, I can hear everything and nothing at all at the same time.”  
Tyler wasn’t getting it still, “Can you explain in depth?”  
“I uhh. . It’s kinda hard actually. You know that feeling when you’re taking a foreign language class and you can hear that people are talking. And you know you can understand it, but you might need to hear it a second or third time. That’s what it feels like to me all the time, I can hear everything, my hearing isn’t bad. But I can’t understand people sometimes. It sometimes.. gets annoying for other people.” His voice trailed off towards the end.  
“I understand a little more. Do you know of any ways that it would make it easier for you to understand me?” Tyler inquired. He felt a little too clingy towards his peer, but he was hoping on any sort of kindness to make friends.  
“Nobody actually takes the time to do that so um, let me think for a little bit please?”  
“No hurry there, Josh.” And Tyler went back to playing on the piano, repeating the melody from earlier but with more confidence.  
“I like what you’re playing, never heard it before though,” Josh said in a louder voice.  
“Thanks! I’m writing it myself,” the last note drifted off as soon as Tyler finished his response. And noticed Josh couldn’t understand what Tyler said through the piano keys. “Sorry, I said I wrote it myself.”  
“That’s neat!”  
“Is it easier to understand what I say when it’s more quiet?”  
Josh nodded his head, “I also notice it’s more easier for me to understand you when I’m looking at you, even if you gestured it’d help a lot. Not like full on sign language, I don’t even know that let alone expect you do.”  
Tyler snickered to himself, shying his smile away from Josh.  
“Hey Josh?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Is it also easier to call for your attention instead of asking straight away?”  
“Like how so? Do you mean calling me out before talking to me?”  
“Exactly, just what I did there too.”  
Josh moved his eyes a bit and his lips grew into a grin.

“So then the bell was about to ring and we exchanged phone numbers. He specifically asked me to try and not call him because he will ignore the call first of all. Because even if he did pick up he can’t have visual cues to what I’m trying to say and he has to remove himself entirely from noise to talk on the phone. And to concentrate even more he has to shut his eyes too to focus on what’s being said. It’s a nightmare deleting voicemails for him too. So we’re just going to be normal teenagers and text a lot,” Tyler explained to his mom. “But he really seems like a sweet person and he invited me over to his house for dinner on Wednesday”  
“That sounds wonderful! Make sure to invite him over here too soon after.”  
“Without a doubt, mom.”

Tyler sent a text to Josh that he was waiting in the car outside his house. Or at least hoping it was Josh’s address and not a typo. But not even a minute after, Tyler watched the front door open and Josh walking through the threshold wearing a cutoff shirt. He waved Tyler over and Tyler got out, getting up to Josh and shaking his hand.  
Josh welcomed him inside and Tyler realized why Josh invited Tyler over. And that was to show what kind of environment Josh lives in. The TV was blaring through the other room, a comedy at that because his parents erupted in laughter together, loud enough that even Tyler flinched. There was so much going on in Josh’s life that it seriously overstimulated the poor guy.  
“Hey mom!” Josh called.  
“What?”  
“Tyler’s here, you said you wanted to say hi to him!”  
She came over to the front room and cheered loudly seeing Tyler, walking over to him with a big grin. She was a very friendly, caring mother. “It’s nice to see you, Josh was excited to have you over. You should have seen him freaking out that you’d hate it here.”  
“What?!” Josh asked, getting about half of what she said.  
His mom clicked her teeth, “Aren’t you deaf? I’m standing right next to you.” And then turning to Tyler shaking her head and smiling as if she was joking.  
But it wasn’t joking and Tyler looked over to Josh seeing a flash of pain in his eyes. Tyler thought it’d be best not to mention it.

Having dinner wasn’t too bad at the Dun’s house. They all ate together, with little distraction. Talking to Tyler and asking him questions about his hobbies and his old school, and asking if he likes the change of pace here. Most of which he answered modestly.

They went up to Josh’s room and Josh laid on his back on his bed. Tyler was examining Josh’s decor of vintage posters, and his own drumset situated facing the door.  
“Josh.. How often do you play?” Tyler asked.  
“Uh… usually when I’m home alone or my parents aren’t doing any work. I don’t want to disturb them.”  
“Is that often?”  
“Not really..” Josh sat up on his bed, “And it really sucks too because when I want to play it most, it’s like eleven when everyone’s asleep and I have some amazing beat stuck in my head.”  
Tyler laughed, “I know that feeling.” He trailed over to the bed and sat next to Josh, “Do you think your family knows how to handle your situation?”  
Josh looked down, “Definitely not.”  
“What about explaining to them and telling them how to go about it?”  
“It’s not that big of a deal, sure it’s a little frustrating for all of us. They think I’m ignoring them and being ignorant and then they say rude things to me too. I was beginning to think I was excellent at selective hearing for a while now!”  
Tyler chuckled at that, “Yeah, they love you though.”  
“I know, I do too. But it’d be nice, you know?”  
Tyler nodded, “Come over to my house soon. I told my mom about it already.”  
“Wait seriously?”  
“Yeah, she seemed cool about it.”  
“Dude that’s awesome!”

One of the best things Josh has ever had happen to him, someone paid attention to what he wanted the most.

It was Saturday and Josh was nervously standing at Tyler’s doorstep, or at least he’d hoped it was Tyler’s house and not a typo at the text. He rang the doorbell and heard the faint sounds of footsteps beyond the door. It slowly swung open and Tyler smirked seeing Josh waiting for him.  
“‘Sup Josh.”  
“Hey Tyler!”  
Tyler stuck out his hand for Josh to shake it. Josh grasped it firmly and tugged Tyler into a swift hug.  
Tyler’s mom peeked from behind her son, he sidestepped for her to walk forward, “Hello Josh!” she greeted.  
“Hi Mrs. Joseph!” his voice faintly cracked and he shook her hand as well.  
“It’s good to see you, Tyler has been telling me all about you.”  
“Aw, he knows me that well already?”  
Tyler elbowed him playfully, and they both fell into a fit of laughter.  
“Well let me tell you, I haven’t seen him in this good of a mood in a while. Come inside, food is almost ready.”  
Josh walked in and the aroma of food from the kitchen hit him. Whatever it was, made Josh more eager about the food than the company.  
The AC was on, producing quiet noise. It wasn’t too bad. The house was mainly flooring so the sound wasn’t easily absorbed. Josh could hear everything clearly and noticed Tyler’s mom spoke in a slower tone than normal and enunciated her words more crisp.

They enjoyed eating and walked along a creek by Tyler’s house. Picking up pebbles and tossing them into the water. Listening to the water and the splashes the rocks would make.  
“Hey Tyler,”  
“Yeah Josh?”  
“How’d you like it over here, since you’ve moved?”  
Tyler was quiet for a bit, “It was difficult and quiet. But then I’ve met you, and I’m happy you’ve answered my prayers.”

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I noticed the morning after that the fic somehow double posted and I have no clue how that ended up happening. When I saw it the night before it was all fine.


End file.
